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Every season brings its own unique qualities and nuances. Each creates a mood and encourages personal reflection. Fall is making its appearance and our skin is responding. It’s a good time to reflect.

If we look at Fall in the traditional terms of life stages, here is the time for renewal and repair. Here is the perfect time to recover from the heat and sun and, perhaps, the excesses of summer indulgence and activities. It might be the best time to look and listen to what your skin is telling you. And, of course, here is the best time to prepare for the Holiday season approaching fast!

If there were times when your sun block or UV protection was not quite sufficient or re-applied often enough, if you spent extended time in the water or the wind, what were the effects on your skin? On your face, your arms, your chest?

Have a few brown spots or “freckles” appeared? Patches of crinkly skin? Lines or wrinkles? Have you had a few “break-outs” from oil-clogged pores? And finally, are you protecting your skin, now, for the Winter season that will, surely, bring its own beauty care challenges?

No one sees your skin as much as you do and no one knows it quite as well. Sometimes, that’s both the blessing and the curse. While you may be the first to notice changes, while your critical eye counts each line and worries over every wrinkle, the reverse may also be true. There are also times when we only see what we’re used to seeing. We quickly skim or scan our faces and bodies and it would take a very obvious difference to catch our attention.

Why not make a special date with your mirror? Set aside some personal time to spend fifteen or thirty minutes just between the two of you. Remove your makeup, pull back your hair and simply look at your face. You might be surprised at how lovely it is. Find your best features and enjoy them.

Then look yourself in the eyes and see what or where your attention is drawn next. Naturally and slowly, try to look at yourself as if for the first time. The good and the not-so-good. And then set about correcting it.

Dry flaky skin? Enlarged pores? Perhaps you will choose one of the wonderful VIVITÉ® skincare products. Frown lines and wrinkles? Perhaps BOTOX Cosmetic or Dysport can easily and affordably offer the solution. IPL, derma fillers, Laser skin tightening and an array of other non-invasive cosmetic treatments are available to renew, revitalize and reverse the effects of premature aging.

So your mirror has done its part; and you’ve done yours. Now might be the time for a “second opinion,” a consultation with your cosmetic dermatology physician. Point out your concerns and discuss the possibilities. Remember, most cosmetic procedures require a bit of time to reach their full effect or for even the mildest side effects to completely disappear. Celebrate the Season with the best gift of all – a fresher, smoother, more youthful and radiant-looking complexion!

While BOTOX and derma fillers seem to get all the good press, we shouldn’t forget about another non-invasive procedure that might be just the choice for you. IPL, or intense pulsed light, is another popular treatment for several specific conditions. In fact, IPL may treat several conditions at the same time.

Vascular conditions, such as broken capillaries (spider veins), sun or age spots; rosacea; some loss of firmness; and enlarged pores are all treatable with a series of IPL sessions. This treatment is not the same as the laser but it does use high-intensity light and heat to penetrate below the outer layer of skin and, actually, damage the melatonin that causes brown spots or the blood vessels that create broken capillaries.

Then when the skin repairs or rejuvenates itself, the brown spots or broken veins disappear leaving the new skin clearer and more even-toned. Additionally, the IPL process may also stimulate the production of your body’s own collagen and create a firmer, tighter connective structure for your skin.

IPL is a process and the greatest success comes over a period of three to six treatments, at three to four week intervals. Each procedure, lasting about 30 minutes, reveals more and more noticeable results and you can decide when you’ve attained your optimum outcome.

Another consideration in selecting intense pulsed light treatments is affordability. Because IPL performs several different functions it’s usually less costly, overall, than the laser and, therefore, a good procedure to explore first.

As with all cosmetic dermatology treatments, every patient has different tolerances for discomfort. A cooling gel will be applied to the area, during the process.

As for side-effects, they are, usually, minimal and may include some temporary redness and minor swelling which may be covered with make-up.

Your participation in the success of your non-invasive beauty treatment doesn’t end until the final results are achieved. During treatment, of course, an experienced practitioner with a very practiced and gentle touch, is your best assurance of minimal bruising and other side effects. However, there is some information you might consider and employ.

For example, some numbing agents, applied 20 – 30 minutes prior to treatment, may also reduce bruising and swelling. Therefore, you might request an anesthetic and additional time when setting your appointment.

While a doctor’s technique is certainly critical to your ultimate results, there are other things that are out of his or her control, such as your own skin type and healing process.
But even if a spot of blood does appear, at the injection site, the doctor can apply pressure and ice for a few minutes, to minimize swelling and bruising. To that same end, do ask for an ice pack for you to apply, immediately following your session.

Keeping in mind that many people do not experience any more than very minor side effects, i.e. swelling, redness, tenderness, that subside within hours, it could take from 1 – 7 days for all side effects to dissipate and the desired results of your treatment to be fully realized.

Meanwhile, here are a few more suggestions that you might do to speed things along:

Avoid alcohol for 24 hours after treatment.
Aside from walking, try not to partake in vigorous, aerobic exercise for 24 – 48 hours.
Avoid the sun or excessive heat until swelling or redness is gone.
Do take Tylenol, for pain; do not take aspirin, Ibuporfen, Aleve or Advil for two days.
Do apply cold compresses for 5 – 10 minutes, per hour, for initial swelling.
You may apply makeup and concealer, which usually cover everything quite well.

Finally, you should be able to see wonderful results even during a period of subsiding side effects. While BOTOX Cosmetic and Dysport, which don’t take full effect for up to a week, fillers work at once.

Even the most successful treatment such as dermal filler often results in some measure of side effects. Among the most common are swelling, soreness, redness, bruising, itching and, more rarely, some inflammation at the injection site. After all, the skin will usually react any time it’s penetrated by a needle. But it’s usually not severe or long-lasting.

In fact, most side effects may be treated with over-the-counter medications and disappear in just a few days. Some might linger for a week but lessen every day.

Your job is to take the simple precautions that will either prevent or greatly reduce the severity and longevity of these side effects. Here is a list of some of the most popular “do’s and don’ts” we recommend prior to your dermal filler procedure.

Some medications and natural supplements tend to make your blood thinner and less able to clot. This is one of the common causes for “bruising.” So the following drugs should be discontinued seven days before treatment: Aspirin, Ibuprofen (including Aleve, Advil and Motrin), Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, Ginko Bilboa and St. John’s Wart. Remember, Tylenol is always allowed and should be sufficient to relieve any tenderness or pain. Alcohol and garlic should be avoided 1 – 2 days before your injections.

Tiny pellets of Arnica Montana have also proven to be very effective and may be dissolved, under the tongue, the day before and the morning of your appointment. Whole Foods is a very good source for purchasing this supplement.

Remember to talk to your own doctor or practitioner for other recommendations or if you have any specific conditions or questions.

The good news about the natural aging process is that it’s natural, and a process. It doesn’t sneak up on you overnight. You don’t look into the mirror one morning and, suddenly, see lines and wrinkles.

When you do begin to notice that there’s something slightly different about your appearance – a frown or laugh line, a crinkle around your eyes where only a twinkle used to be – today there is something you can do about it.

With BOTOX Cosmetic, the grand-daddy of all non-invasive cosmetic procedures, it’s simple, fast, affordable and looks as natural as the process you’re reversing.

Since 2002, when the FDA granted approval to BOTOX Cosmetic for use in the treatment of lines and wrinkles, more than 1,000,000 people receive the procedure, each year. And its popularity is only growing with time.

How does BOTOX work and what should you expect during and after treatment? Simply stated, BOTOX Cosmetic interrupts the nerve impulse that signals a muscle to contract and create frown lines. By injecting a tiny needle into the muscle, the contraction cannot take place and the frown line is released, smoothed and becomes nearly invisible.

While every injection causes a sting, the BOTOX needle is very small and thin and the discomfort is minimal, and brief. The practitioner may apply a numbing agent, if you prefer, but it’s rarely required. The process is usually completed within minutes and you are on your way to continue your normal activities. There’s no recovery or down time.

After your procedure, there might be some redness, swelling, tenderness or slight bleeding, at the injection site, but these side effects should disappear quickly.

The effects of BOTOX are visible two to seven days after treatment. While the long-lasting effects of BOTOX vary for each individual, you could expect to maintain your results for up to four months, or longer. Additionally, you may repeat the BOTOX procedure every three to four months and never lose your more youthful appearance.

So if you are considering “doing a little something” to refresh your look, smooth your brow, reduce or even eliminate premature signs of aging – and want to start slowly and easily – BOTOX Cosmetic might be the very best choice for you.

While there are so many factors, at work, to accelerate the aging process, fortunately, medical science is working to slow it down.

The sun, smoking, stress, diet, chemicals and other environmental factors may create creases, lines and wrinkles, before their time. Gravity and the natural aging process do the rest. Sagging skin, furrows and folds increase over time.

But with the advent of BOTOX Cosmetic, in 2002, the world of non-invasive cosmetic dermatology changed forever. Eliminating wrinkles and lessening the effects of crow’s feet and frown lines, BOTOX led the way to a ground-breaking array of anti-aging products, procedures and beauty treatments.

Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane and Radiesse are among the most popular injectable facial fillers, available today. These revolutionary products add fullness or “fill out” hollows caused by loss of volume or shifting fat deposits under the skin.

But there is another remarkable procedure, Laser Skin Tightening, that is very effective for rejuvenating, smoothing and lifting your skin, anywhere on the body. And the most widespread Laser Tightening benefits include: minimal discomfort, no downtime, no injections, no bruising and no lingering side effects.

So how does this Laser Skin Tightening work? The Laser technology employs light that penetrates to the inner layer, or dermis, of the skin, to heat the collagen protein that is most responsible for keeping our skin supple, strong and firm.
But as we age and produce less collagen, the skin loses its elasticity.

The carefully-regulated Laser heat causes your own natural collagen fibers to tighten, which results in a significant lifting effect. Activating your collagen can also stimulate new collagen growth and tightening, long-term. So while the results of the procedure may be immediately noticeable, the long-term results will continue to improve after treatment.

As noted above, the Laser Tightening procedure may be performed on any area of your body and is particularly effective on the face and neck. The necessary treatment time will vary, depending upon the area being treated. And the number of treatments you may require will also vary from patient to patient. But, in general, three treatments are suggested, scheduled 4 – 6 weeks apart, allowing time to evaluate your progress and results.

Some redness and mild swelling may occur but unlike most other non-invasive procedures, these side effects usually disappear within a few hours.

With all the unique benefits of Laser Skin Tightening, this might be the very best choice for you in restoring your more radiant and youthful appearance.

There is no doubt that your smile is, usually, the first feature that people notice about you. It’s also the feature they, often, remember most; a beautiful smile lingers in the mind’s eye.

So it’s no wonder that full, well-shaped lips have become one of the most desirable facial features on the beauty wish-list today.

Last week we examined some of the causes, products and benefits of lip augmentation. Now let’s explore what to expect before, during and after the lip-enhancing procedure.

The lip area is one of the more sensitive areas of the face. So while the procedure may be completed in as little as 15 minutes, it is usually preferable to take a few extra minutes to apply a topical numbing product to the area. Additionally, several of the most popular hyaluronic fillers, preferred by patients and physicians alike, are actually formulated with lidocaine, a common form of anesthetic.

The actual procedure is surprisingly simple. After carefully marking or outlining the area to be treated, very fine needles inject the product into your lips. The results are instantaneous, although some expected swelling will often exaggerate the final look.

To both ease any lingering discomfort and control the amount of swelling, it’s a good idea to lightly apply ice to the treated area, as soon as possible, following the procedure. But do take care not to put any firm pressure on your lips immediately after a filler injection.

Other common side effects are usually mild and will disappear within a few days. They may include swelling and bruising, redness and some tenderness. Since hyaluronic acid is a natural substance to the body, there should be no allergic reaction to the product.

Ultimately, well-proportioned lip augmentation procedure will truly give you something to smile about!